Hope in the Lord!

“Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, they that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar with eagles’ wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31

I love these verses. If we put them together with another of my favorite verses, Isaiah 40:8, we can be unstoppable. “Though the grass withers and the flower wilts, the Word of our God stands forever.” Forever. How many times have I heard, “Walang forever” (There is no such thing as forever)??? No wonder our world is in such a mess! If we don’t believe in forever, we think everything will pass away, we will live day to day with no thought of tomorrow. Without an eternal perspective, the world is doomed to selfishness, entitlement, consumerism, running after fleeting joys, one-upmanship, despair, hopelessness and aimlessness. What is the antidote? God and God alone. 

When we believe in God, His Word and His promises, we are well able to handle what life throws at us. We will be able to accomplish the impossible. I see it in my life. I am not smart and I lack any business sense whatsoever. I am fully aware of my limitations. But I am obedient and I made myself available to what my mom wanted me to do. I believe that if we honor our parents, blessings follow (Exodus 20:12, Proverbs 1:8, Ephesians 6:1-3). Growing up, I was always by her side, helping her, working beside her. When our business grew, she did not teach me and my siblings business principles, she taught us life principles. What we sow, we will reap. Pray, pray, pray. Nothing is impossible with God. Yard by yard, life is hard, inch by inch, it’s a cinch. God will make a way even if there is no way. Work hard and leave the rest to God. 

Today, even if we were not ambitious to start with, we have 21 stores and we are opening the 22nd before Christmas. It can be tiring, it can be frustrating. After 50 years in business, we see there is still so much to improve. But I’ve lived those 50 years and I’ve seen God work miracles, and I know He will continue to be the wind beneath our wings. If I look around me, at the condition the world is in, I feel sad and hopeless. But when I look to God and focus on His Word, I get exhilarated. Yes truly, we that hope in the Lord will never be disappointed!